Author: tkcricket

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 10/07/25

The stakes on Sunday will, of course, depend to a great degree on what happens on Saturday, so there’s a certain amount of the blindfold/black cat/darkened room about previewing Round 16 from this distance. We will, however, do what we can . . .

RL: If we assume that both Kampong and Punjab win on Saturday, then Alex Roy’s side will take on HBS at Craeyenhout knowing that another victory will guarantee them the title. It’s not unknown for teams to falter as they approach the winning tape, and the Crows certainly have the wherewithall to cause them some serious problems, from the reliability of Tayo Walbrugh and the explosive brilliance of Lehan Botha to the cutting edge provided by Kyle Klein and a spin attack which have proved a match-winner several times this season. Defeat at the hands of VRA Saturday, moreover, would leave HBS sweating on a possible relegation play-off, so regardless of Kampong’s position they would then have every incentive to make life as difficult as possible for the putative champions.

BdJ: Without wanting to cast aspersions on the professionalism of the frontrunners, it’s probably fair to say that should Kampong claim the title on home turf on Saturday, coinciding with pre-planned multi-sport festivities at Maarschalkerweerd, that celebrations and silverware may take a toll on their concentration the following morning. Their opponents meanwhile will indeed have plenty to play for regardless of the previous day’s results, and remain a formidable force on home (astro)turf. Depending on events at Westvliet on Friday, there’s of course a chance that performances on artificial wickets may start weighing more heavily in the considerations of the selectors too. Whatever the outcome of the previous two days, Sunday will find the champions-presumptive will either on something of a comedown or in a state of nervous frustration, and the Crows, one suspects, well poised to take advatage.

RL: By the same token, whether Punjab-Ghausia are still notionally in the fight will depend on whether they have managed to overcome Voorburg. If they have, then the points against Hermes-DVS will be equally vital; if not, then the battle could conceivably be over before the skippers toss at the Loopuyt Oval. As always, Hermes will be hoping for a good start when they bat, but the side batting first here has only passed 200 twice this season, and Punjab’s bowling unit, should they take the field first, has the capacity to prevent a third occurrence. Their batting, on the other hand, is another matter entirely, and an admittedly potent Hermes attack will need to be at its best to contain the defending champions, whether they are setting or chasing.

BdJ: Again one does suspect the mental state of the title-holders in this game will be heavily dependent on the previous day’s events, and if they wake up Sunday morning still in the hunt for the top spot then you’d expect them to come hard at a Hermes outfit likely resigned to a creditable mid-table finish. Hermes’ performances seem to have slipped inexorably since they were knocked off the top spot by Kampong, most markedly on the bowling side of things. While the top-heavy batting has been a consistent theme, the quality they do have at the top has generally kept them competitive so long as the bowling has delivered. In recent games it hasn’t though – in fact the sky blue attack that dominated the early season has only taken three wickets across their last two games. With games against wooden-spooners Sparta and likely mid-tablers HCC to come, Punjab’s late season schedule leaves the door open to a come-back run should their hopes survive the weekend.

RL: Another relegation four-pointer, this time between the two bottom sides, will be at the Bermweg, where Excelsior ‘20 will be hoping to keep Sparta 1888 firmly in the basement while keeping alive their own chances of squeezing out of automatic relegation territory. Their mood, obviously, will depend to a large degree on what has happened at Thurlede on Saturday, but if they have managed to overcome their old Schiedam rivals they will be all the more determined to keep up the momentum with a win against likely wooden-spooners Sparta. Even with their overseas contingent reduced from five to three there remains a huge discrepancy between Excelsior on paper and what they deliver on the park, a matter which has doubtless caused some head-scratching at Thurlede, but they seem likely to be too strong for a Capelle side which has long seemed certain to be playing in the Hoofdklasse next year.

BdJ: While Sparta have been reconciled to the possibility of a return to the Hoofklasse since before the first ball of the season was bowled, Excelsior’s current predicament has sent sackcloth sales in Schiedam skyrocketing. Sparta’s relatively sanguine attitude has admittedly not delivered them a lot of wins, but it has allowed them to play some commendably care-free cricket on occasion, as HBS found to their cost. However the Schiedam derby turns out on Saturday, one suspects the mood in the Excelsior camp will be altogether more desperate. An unworried yet understrength Sparta should not be a serious obstacle for a side of Excelsior’s strength on paper, but the match may well prove a stern test of their mental fortitude.

RL: Much of the interest at the foot of the table has been generated by VOC Rotterdam, who were on the bottom for much of the first half of the campaign and who will travel to De Diepput on Sunday to take on HCC knowing that they might just pull off one of the greatest escape acts since Houdini retired for the last time. That assumes, of course, that they have avoided the Sparta banana skin on Saturday, but a win against the unpredictable Lions here could leave them with plenty to play for as they take on HBS and VRA in their final two matches. They look a much better side when Monty Singh (Bharaj) is behind the stumps and in the middle order, and although HCC bat all the way down and, as m’colleague likes to point out, are a much bigger challenge at home, the Bloodhounds on a winning trail could prove a handful.

BdJ: Fair to say that Monty Singh has indeed proved more than worth the airfare for VOC, and with their investements in Scott Jannet and Chris Oberholzer also beginning to pay dividends the Bloodhounds’ portfolio looks a good deal healthier than it did last quarter. They still have their work cut out for them however, and while from here on out their opponents will likely all be comfortably ensconsed in the mid table with little left on the line, the weaknesses that have left them fighting for top-flight survival remain. The local batting contingent has contributed little to the oft-insufficient totals, while the bowling unit, Arnav Jain aside, has generally paid a hefty price in runs for every wicket they’ve bought. A late season lapse in concentration from any or all of their remaining opponents may well see the Bloodhounds scrape to safety, and should they wind up in the play-off they’d be favourites over any Hoofdklasse challenger, but fair to say there will be a lot of work to be done at Hazelaarweg if they’re to compete again in a trimmed-down Topklasse next season.

RL: I don’t want to go on about it unduly, but the match between Voorburg and VRA Amsterdam at Westvliet has been robbed of much of its tension by the absence of play-offs this season. Saturday’s results could have changed this, but in a normal season this would have been a key tussle in a five-, or even six-way struggle for three places in the top four, whereas now it might be what too many people in the Netherlands like to call a ‘dead rubber’. Except that if HBS have beaten VRA on Saturday and Voorburg have lost to Punjab, then Noah Croes’s team might just find themselves with a toe in relegation hot water. Last time the top flight was cut to eight it was Voorburg who lost out at the last moment, and they will be very keen indeed to ensure that that doesn’t happen again. Their visitors on Sunday should now be safe, and Singh, Smal, Nidamanuru and Co. play to their capacity they could at least reinforce their position in the top reaches of the table. If motivation counts for anything, however, it is likely to be with the hosts.

BdJ: There’s always pride to play for of course, and with all four of VRA’s sometime Dutch internationals seemingly on the outs now, one imagines Nidamanuru, Singh, Ahmad and Fletcher would like to prove a point when they come up against Voorburg’s more favoured Oranje section, especially if the Dutch have secured a World Cup berth by then. If not, one imagines that failure will be the subject of livelty discussion on Sunday, especially if Jersey have sprung a surprise. Voorburg will at least be at something approaching full strength again, though Viv Kingma remains sidelined and the visiting Bas de Leede is unlikely to play. The Voorburg attack has looked rather toothless without them in recent weeks it must be said, and VRA certainly have the batting to take advantage on paper, even if lacking somewhat for form.

RL’s picks: Kampong, Punjab, Excelsior, HCC, Voorburg

BdJ’s picks: HBS, Punjab, Sparta, HCC, VRA

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 10/07/25

At time of writing all eyes may still be on the Europe T20 Qualifier at Voorburg, but by the weekend we’ll know whether the Dutch national team are off to the World Cup in the cauldron of Sri Lanka and India, or headed to sub-regionals on the mat wickets of who-knows-where, and attention will turn back to the business of the Topklasse, which could all but settled over the weekend.

BdJ: If other results go their way, Kampong could well be crowned champions as early as Saturday with a win over HCC, and the prospect of celebrating at home will doubtless serve as extra motivation. Whether they’ll be quite back to full strength is not certain, but even without Edwards and O’Dowd the Kampong batting unit is a formidable one, while the HCC card has looked increasingly brittle of late, failing to chase even VRA’s modest total at De Diepput last week. Away from home the Lions have generally been still less reliable, though one imagines they will be confident of welcoming back Hidde Overdijk, who’s spent the Qualfier on the bench thus far. A neutral observer might reasonably hope for an HCC victory to keep some tension at the top for the back end of the competition, but they’d be brave to bet on it.

RL: Every Topklasse season seems to produce a Jekyll and Hyde outfit, and HCC are strong candidates for that role this year. At their best they have been among the most impressive, capable of chasing down big targets and boasting one of the competition’s most effective bowling units, but on a bad day they are fragile enough to make the Diepput faithful weep. Often, as last week, the transformation seems to come at the innings break, a fine performance with the ball let down by an inept one with the bat. Kampong, on the other hand, have been relentless all the way, with just a couple of lapses to keep things interesting. It might be excessive to anticipate third successive nine-wicket victory, but form suggests that HCC will need to raise their game significantly to keep the battle – and their own chances of ending as runners-up – alive.

BdJ: The second match that could still influence the outcome at the top will be playing out at the Zomercomplex, where second-placed Punjab-Ghausia take on sixth-placed Voorburg. The defending champions realistically need a win to keep their fading hopes alive, while VCC will be keen to consolidate their mid-table position, having drifted toward the danger zone after a heavy loss to HBS last weekend. Punjab have built a bit of momentum with wins over teams in the lower reaches of the table of late, but will face a sterner test against a Voorburg side expected to have most of their internationals back. Viv Kingma remains sidelined, however, and depending on how things go this week said internationals may not be in the best of mindsets. Sikander Zulfiqar’s return to bowling has left Punjab less reliant on piling on scoreboard pressure, though they retain a top order perfectly capable of doing so. Whether refocusing after celebration or disappopintment, VCC will need their returning internationals to be on top of their game if they’re to snuff out Punjab’s hopes of retaining their title.

RL: So much of cricket is, indeed, played between the ears, and Noah Croes and Gavin Kaplan will have a big job on their hands to gear their side up for the run in. Not much went right for the makeshift version last week, or indeed the week before, and while encountering Brett Hampton and Lehan Botha in their most lethal moods in successive matches might be regarded as very bad luck, it does suggest a degree of vulnerability in the Voorburg attack. Michael Levitt has bowled more overs and taken more wickets for the national side this season than he has on his five appearances for his club, and we might expect him to be pressed into service here, in a mid-overs containing role if nothing else. Punjab have the batting to exploit any weakness in their opponents’ batting, and while since the departure of Jonathan Vandiar they don’t have anyone with quite the destructive power of a Hampton or Botha, they have been piling on the runs pretty solidly since they returned to winning mode.

BdJ: While third-placed VRA are not mathematically out of the running for the championship, given the start to their season they’ll be happy enough with safety at this point. They travel to Craeyenhout to take on HBS on Saturday, and the Crows will be desperate to secure a similar measure of safety. Lehan Botha’s exhibition on the second ground at Westvliet took HBS to a massive win in a somewhat farcical match last week, but with just two points separating them from a resurgent VOC their situation remains serious. VRA’s bats will also have happy memories of Craeyenhout of course, though perhaps their bowlers less so. If we are to have another madcap bomb-comp at Craeyenhout on Saturday though, it’s fair to say Botha’s the man in form.

RL: Teja Nidamanuru returns to a side which is in a happier place than it was last time he came back to them, the relegation neurosis which hangs over the Bos at the faintest sign of trouble firmly dispelled for now. But VRA are about as clear of danger as they are in the running for the title, and need a couple more wins to make sure of avoiding a tricky play-off. HBS at Craeyenhout is never a straightforward proposition, but there is no better place for the likes of Vikram Singh to rehabilitate a club campaign which has been pretty disappointing so far. If the revival of his opening partnership with Shirase Rasool was more than a one-off this would be a great opportunity to take advantage, although the return of Kyle Klein for the Crows will add cutting edge to an attack which has been heavily – and very effectively – reliant on spin in recent weeks. This has the potential to be one of the most attractive games of the round, and it could genuinely go either way.

BdJ: Down at the bottom end of the table Sparta 1888’s hopes of earning even a chance of survival via the playoff are becoming increasingly fanciful, but a win against incumbent 8th-placers VOC Rotterdam would be a big step in that direction. Recent form is against them however, with the Bloodhounds showing some late-season fightback; having won three of their last five matches. Sparta, by contrast, have suffered something of a reversion to their abject mean. Injuries and unavailabilities haven’t helped, but a return to sub-100 totals suggests that hope has given way to resignaton at Bermweg. With the VOC top order finding form, most notably young overseas Scott Janett and Chris Oberholzer, the Rotterdammers should be reasonably confident of picking up at least couple of points this weekend and if not securing saftety, then at least staying ahead of the belaguered Excelsior – their nearest rivals for the play-off spot.

RL: The transformation of VOC from no-hopers to a side with a decent chance of climbing to safety has been one of the stories of the season, and while they still have a lot of work to do to avoid that play-off, there’s no better place to start than at home to a seriously dispirited Sparta. Without Ahsan Malik (and last week Kyle Klesse as well) Joost-Martijn Snoep’s side were indeed chanceless against Kampong, but then strong outfits than they have been made to look ordinary or worse by the champions-in-waiting. The Bloodhounds’ attack recovered well from its mauling by Punjab, Jelte Schoonheim adding bite as well as experience, and is likely to relish the opportunity to take Sparta apart in what was once the Rotterdam Derby. Janett and Oberholzer apart there do remain a lot of questions about VOC’s batting, and that’s where Sparta will need to hit hard if they are to have any chance of taking the points back to the Bermweg. Either way, Juandre Scheepers is likely to be key, but that’s a lot of weight to put on one man’s shoulders.

BdJ: Saturday’s final match sees sometime frontrunners Hermes DVS head across the park to take on Excelsior ‘20 at Thurlede, in what both sides will know might well be the last Schiedam Derby for some time if the hosts can’t turn their season around. The departures of overseas Brett Hampton and Antum Naqvi prompted the return of some familiar faces in Tim Etman and Rens van Troost last week, but their presence only added to the vaguely funereal feeling around Excelsior’s late season showing. While Hermes themselves have fallen away somewhat since their early unbeaten run, they remain firm favourites over their old rivals even away from home – a testament to the marked reversal of the two clubs’ fortunes since Hermes’ return to the top flight.

RL: Nelson is still on the board for the Schiedam Derby after the encounter at the Loopuyt Oval was washed out, but it remains to be seen who’s luck will be out at Thurlede. It may already be too late for Excelsior, for whom a play-off is now probably the best they can hope for, and even that would become a big ask if they were to lose here and VOC were to beat Sparta. The only team to have conceded 3000 runs so far this season, Excelsior are a shadow of the side which once made a specialty of defending low totals, and the batting has been, almost literally, hit or miss. Hermes’ dependence on the Ostling/Doyle opening partnership has been a recurring theme on these virtual pages, but it remains true that the batting falls away a good deal once they have departed, a deficiency which has often been compensated for by a very effective attack. That bowling unit will doubtless test the hosts’ batting to the full, but few sides have as strong a motivation to end the season with a winning run than Excelsior.

BdJ’s picks: Kampong, Voorburg, HBS, VOC, Hermes

RJ’s picks: Kampong, Punjab, VRA, VOC, Excelsior.

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 04/05/25

It’s another of those weeks where the luck of the draw pits the top five against the bottom five, so the priorities will be respectively consolidation and springing a life-supporting surprise. It will also see the disappearance of those national squad members who were allowed to play last Saturday, with varying implications for the sides involved. Last time the two halves of the table met there were some significant surprises, so maybe that will happen again.

RL: It would certainly be a sensation if Sparta 1888, now firmly rooted at the foot of the table, were to get the better of Kampong, who have created a very comfortable cushion for themselves at the top. The leaders will, of course, be without Max O’Dowd and Scott Edwards, but neither was influential in last week’s demolition of Hermes, and Alex Roy’s side has proved that it is perfectly capable of taking on all comers without them. The Spartans, it is true, are a tougher proposition at the Bermweg, where they posted both their wins so far, but they would need both to cut through Kampong’s top and middle order and to withstand their very effective spin attack to have a real chance of springing the upset of the season. In Ahsan Malik and Juandre Scheepers, the latter having developed the knack of removing big-name opponents, they perhaps have a chance of achieving the first, but the fragility of their batting, its cyclonic destruction of HBS apart, is a major reason for the side’s current plight.

BdJ: Just five games to go, five points clear with a healthy NRR advantage to boot, Kampong Utrecht’s coronation is not quite inevitable yet, but they’d have to work hard to mess it up from here. Contriving to lose to Sparta would certainly be a good start in that respect, and Bermweg a fine venue to do it, both of the Spartan wins this season having come at home. Such a result would certainly inject a bit more tension at both ends of the table, but the sides find themselves at opposite ends of the table for good reason. Sparta have shown some fight and occassional adventure in recent weeks, most notably against HBS in round 12, they’ve generally looked outmatched even by lesser opposition. And while Kampong will again be without Edwards and O’Dowd, Sparta have not beeen spared the selectors’ scythe – Kyle Klesse off to Malawi after getting his maiden call up for Germany. With Sam Ferguson also sidelined with a broken hand it would take quite something for the understrength underdogs to turn over the frontrunners.

RL: The battle for eighth spot looks like being the last major issue to be settled in this campaign, with Excelsior ‘20 and VOC duking it out all the way to the final round. Their schedules from here on in are remarkably similar, each meeting four opponents a week apart, and the sole difference is that while VOC will take on VRA in their final game, Excelsior face a daunting assignment this week when they travel to the Zomercomplex to take on Punjab-Ghausia. Both Punjab and Excelsior posted totals of 300-plus last week, although the way they did it differed: the defending champions never looked in trouble as their top order relentlessly hammered a wilting VOC attack, while Excelsior needed a brutal onslaught from Brett Hampton to set up victory of an admittedly much stronger Voorburg. While the Schiedammers undoubtedly have the batting to tackle Punjab’s bowlers, it’s less evident that their own attack is effective enough to tame the likes of Shoaib Minhas, Musa Ahmad, Mohsin Riaz and Sikander Zulfiqar, all of whom looked in very good nick last Saturday.

BdJ: One of the less remarked-upon stories of the season so far has been Punjab’s newfound vulnerability at home; while the Zomercomplex was a true fortress last year, the defending champions look rather less at home at their new-look ground. Indeed most of Punjab’s intimidating top-order have been performing better away from home that at the Zomercomplex this season. They’ve also generally been performing rather better than Excelsior of course, hence their disparate positions on the table, though the Schiedammers will take comfort both from Hampton’s exploits and Raynard van Tonder’s return to fitness and form. Punjab’s bowling has been litlle more penetrative than that of their opponents this season, and with Saqib Zulfiqar in camera with the national team one might wonder where their wickets are coming from too…

RL: De Diepput has never been a very happy hunting-ground for VRA Amsterdam, where they have won only six of their last twenty encounters, although to be fair they came away with the points after their last two encounters there. Somewhat surprisingly, perhaps, they will still have the services this time of both Vikram Singh and Shariz Ahmad, only Teja Nidamanuru having been included in the Dutch squad for the T20 Qualifier, and the skipper’s absence will be balanced by that of HCC’s leading wicket-taker, Hidde Overdijk, whose selection has surprised some but is justified by the way he has led HCC’s attack this season. But the Lions still have plenty of talent with both bat and ball, and while VRA have won three out of their last four games they have had to scramble a bit to get there. They will have been encouraged, though, by the efforts of Ibaad Zaidi and Viraj Thakur with the bat last week, and they have a bowling unit capable of causing their hosts plenty of problems. This could be one of the tightest encounters of the round, but home advantage may just give HCC the edge.

BdJ: While VRA have been spared the cull they suffered when last the national team came calling, it should be noted the scales for this fixture aren’t quite in balance in that regard, as of course they’ve also lost Patrick Gouge to Jersey again (and from an admittedly small one-innings sample size, Gouge had been one of VRA’s better bats on mats). Neither Gouge nor Nidamanuru have delivered for VRA this season as Overdijk has for HCC of course, but even without their pace spearhead the Lions remain favourites in thier own den. Indeed Joshua Brown has quietly overtaken Overdijk in the wicket-taking tally, while the latter’s contributions down the order with the bat are less likely to be needed at home, given the top order’s form. The spurned Singh, Shariz and perhaps even Fletcher may all feel they have a point to prove, even if sending a message to the Dutch team hotel remains a secondary priority so long as VRA remain in sight of the relegation zone.

RL: Six points behind the leaders, their gallant initial challenge for the title effectively over, Hermes-DVS will take on VOC Rotterdam at the Loopuyt Oval, their visitors in acute need of points to get away from ninth spot. In a normal season the Sky-blues would be locked in a fascinating battle for a place in the semi-finals, but this year they are in a mid-table no man’s land. A strong closing run could still see them finish runners-up, however, and to do that they will need at the very least to beat VOC and Excelsior in their next two games. The Bloodhounds’ attack was hammered into submission by Punjab last week, Aaditt Jain and Roman Harhangi’s inexperience all too evident in the latter stages, but Aaditt’s brother Arnav stood up to the pressure well. They will need to contain Ash Ostling and Daniel Doyle early on, of course, and their batters will have to find a way of countering Hermes’ spinners as well as the renewed threat of Olivier Elenbaas, a bowling unit which suffered a hammering of their own against a rampant Kampong.

BdJ: The momentum has indeed been leached out of Hermes’ early title challenge, and even with three games to come against the bottom three sides on the table it’s fair to say that 50-over silverware is beyond their grasp now. Thus with their opponents seemingly destined for a comfortable mid-table finish, one would imagine the Bloodhounds will be the hungrier of the two sides on Saturday. Yet while they managed to role Hermes for just 140 in their first encounter, even if they repeat that trick they’ll have to put up a sunstantially better showing with the bat this time round if they’re to avoid sinking deeper into the relegation zone. Hermes have tended to struggle to post substantial scores when their openers don’t deliver, but VOC’s own batting has looked brittle all through the order, and while Hermes’ attack took a drubbing last week they remain more than capable of taking advantage.

RL: Despite last week’s victory over HCC, HBS Craeyenhout know that they are just one win clear of the relegation threat, and they will face a visit to Westvliet to face even a depleted Voorburg with a degree of trepidation. The national selectors have denied us a meeting of the brothers Klein, both of whom are in squad for the Qualifier, but while Kyle’s absence is perhaps the greater loss for his side on current form, he has not in any case been available since returning from Scotland. Tayo Walbrugh’s second century of the summer again reinforced how vital he is to the Crows’ batting, and with 657 runs with five games to go he has an outside chance of reaching the magic 1000 for the season (he missed out by two runs in 2023). With Michael Levitt and Noah Croes as well as Ryan Klein again serving their country, Voorburg will once more need to draw on their copious reserves, and notwithstanding last week’s defeat by Excelsior they remain a considerable force. That said, if one of the lower five (for older readers, what used to be the right-hand column on Teletekst) is going to spring that surprise, then it might just come here. Or, perhaps, at De Diepput.

BdJ: An odd quirk of scheduling sees Voorburg playing at home while hosting the T20 Qualifier, meaning this match will be played on the second field while international affairs are addressed on the main square. HBS are unlikely to be complaining, as the artificial surface on the second ground may feel rather mor like home. Walbrugh’s run-tally on artificial surfaces this season is matched only by HCC’s Boris Gorlee, and while a fair few of those coming off the bench for Voorburg will be perfectly familiar with conditions on the second ground, it’s questionable whether the hosts will enjoy much in the way of home advantage. With VCC’s hopes of a title challenge receding and the home crowd’s attention likely elsewhere, the Crows may just sense a chance to steal a march on the chasing pack of relegation candidates.

RJ’s picks: Kampong, Punjab, HCC, Hermes, Voorburg.

BdJ’s picks: Kampong, Punjab, HCC, Hermes, HBS.

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 26/06/2025

The summer solstice is just barely behind us but we’re already two thirds of the way through the Topklasse season, and with six games each to go some long-established top flight sides find themselves in a bare-knuckle relegation brawl, while newcomers Kampong are threatening to pull away at the top of the table. There’s a few more shuffles left in the pack yet though, and every match this week will have an effect at one end of the table or another.

BdJ: Starting at the top, table-toppers Kampong face off against early front-runners Hermes DVS, who have since slipped to third in the pecking order. The Schiedammers took the honours when the two met earlier in the season at the Loopuyt, the fourth in a five-match opening winning streak. The return leg a Maarschalkerweerd may prove a tougher challenge if internationals O’Dowd and Edwards return, though given their respective knee and hamstring niggles and the threadbare resources available to the Dutch for next week’s T20 Qualifier, it would be understandable if they don’t risk it. Nonetheless Kampong have been managing alright without them, thanks in large part to the form of Lane Berry and lately Damien van den Berg at the top of the order, together with Lorenzo Ingram and Pierre Jacod’s occasional rearguards. Hermes, for their part, continue to look somewhat over-dependent on Ashley Ostling and Daniel Doyle-Calle at the top, the opening pair respectively averaging twice and four-times the next best bat. The sky-blues’ bowling has generally been enough to cover for any deficiencies down the order against most opposition, but against Kampong at Utrecht it may not be.

RL: All things are relative, but I do think it’s a little harsh of m’colleague to describe Ingram’s 364 runs at 45, with four fifties in ten innings, as ‘occasional rearguards’. With 16 wickets into the bargain he remains one of the most effective allrounders in the competition, and given the rather hit-or-miss recent record of the top of the Kampong order his presence at five is a key steadying factor, especially in the absence of O’Dowd and Edwards, in the Utrecht club’s quest to become the first side since Princes Wilhelmina Enschede (there’s a blast from the past) to take the national title in their first season back in the top flight – and that was back in 1939. With Hikmatullah Jabarkhail and Sahil Kothari in the top five wicket-takers Hermes do indeed owe their position in large part to their bowling, but Kampong have Jacod, Ingram and Alex Roy in the top dozen, and with Kirtan Nana and Shashank Kumar backing Roy in the seam unit they have the resources to test a Hermes batting line-up which has until very recently found it hard to get much paast 200.

BdJ: Having pushed past Hermes into second place, HCC face a short but tricky trip over to Craeyenhout to face local rivals HBS in a fixture that has the potential to make both ends of the table a lot more interesting, or indeed considerably less so. HBS will be hoping for the latter, having drifted dangerously close to the relegation zone following their loss to Sparta last week. Ducks for senior bats Walbrugh and Barresi certainly didn’t help in that game, though the Crows may be more worried about the lack of penetration and control offered by their bowling attack in the absence of Kyle Klein, whose availability on Saturday is not guaranteed. They’ll have their work cut out too against an HCC batting card most all of whom made runs last Saturday at VCC, with Clayton Floyd adding his name to the growing list of in-form all rounders on the books with the Haagse. For HCC, a win would mean they remain best-placed to capitalise on any slip-up from Kampong, while defeat would see their chances of reclaiming the title diminish appreciably. For HBS, with only net run rate keeping them out of the relegation zone, every win is a step toward safety.

RL: No two ways about it: at least a half-century from Walbrugh or Barresi, or both, has been a necessary, but not necessarily sufficient, requirement for an HBS victory this season. All four wins have involved significant innings by one or other or both, although in fairness the contribution of Lehan Botha with bat or ball should not be underestimated. Young Elmar Boendermaker’s patient knock against Sparta, too, is evidence of his development. Whether that will be enough to repeat the Crows’ victory over HCC is extremely doubtful, since not only has the Lions’ batting proved to have greater depth than most, but the bowling unit combines pace and spin very effectively indeed, making them probably the principal threat to Kampong’s title hopes. The Crows, by contrast, look a lot less menacing without Kyle Klein leading the attack, and at batter-friendly Craeyenhout they will need to fire on all cylinders if they are to take the points.

BdJ: Snapping at their heels are 8th-placed VOC, who take on title-holders Punjab Rotterdam at Hazelaarweg. Defeat at the hands of the Bloodhounds earlier in the season marked, if not the end, then perhaps the end of the beginning of the end of Punjab’s hopes of defending their title. A repeat of that result would put them pretty definitively out of contention. With the departure of Jonathan Vandiar and Musa Ahmad’s return to form stuttering, Mohsin Riaz is the sole member of Punjab’s imposing top order to be regularly in the runs, while Ahmad is the only consistent member of the attack to be delivering more than one wicket a match on average. VOC meanwhile, despite a brief return to type against VCC, have now won three of their last four matches including a crucial victory over relegation rivals Excelsior. While they remain outmatched on paper, this is the sort of match VOC will have to win if they’re to secure another season in the top flight.

RL: The reversal in VOC’s fortunes has indeed been one of the features of the middle part of the campaign, and the efforts of Scott Janett, Christiaan Oberholzer and Monty Singh with the bat have been instrumental in bringing it about, masking the continuing limitations of the rest of the line-up. Restricting their contribution will therefore be a priority for Punjab’s attack, which even with the advent of Tehzeeb Haider has relied on spin to keep the side in the game. Now five points behind the leaders, Punjab are probably going to have to settle for a mid-table position; the absence of play-offs this year has robbed the latter stages of the competition of what would otherwise have been a fascinating six-way battle for a top four spot. Pride, however, is a perfectly legitimate thing to play for, while for VOC the stakes are way higher than that. Their young attack will have its work cut out to contain even an out-of-form Punjab line-up and make it four wins out of five for the Bloodhounds.

BdJ: Meanwhile Excelsior ‘20 likewise find themselves struggling for even a chance at survival, and will be desperate to pick up points against Voorburg, who they host at Thurlede on Saturday. VCC have been appreciably weakened by the wear and tear brought about by a punishing international calendar, with Viv Kingma ruled out, Ryan Klein in doubt and Michael Levitt also potentially resting up to be sure of fitness for the coming Qualifier. Yet Excelsior, despite some fine contributions from their regulars and three of the biggest name overseas in the competition, have struggled to put it together all season. Raynard van Tonder is now back from a hamstring injury but far from at his best, while Antum Naqvi and Brett Hampton put in solid performances in a losing cause last week, the Schiedam faithful will be acutely aware that they won’t be able to count on them to save them at the back end of the season. Hints of fraying nerves are already evident at Thurlede, and another home defeat could well send them into a spiral.

RL: The end of a 44-year spell in the top flight which brought the club a dozen national championships is beginning to loom large for Excelsior, whose three wins have all come at the expense of their rivals in the bottom four. Seldom has there been a greater gap between strength on paper and performances in the field, and although injuries, particularly to Raynard van Tonder, have played a part in their perilous situation, the previous two seasons already gave a hint of what was in store. Antum Naqvi, Sam Rahaley, Van Tonder, and Brett Hampton have all fired with the bat on occasion, but none has managed it regularly enough to compensate for the side’s weaknesses. For Voorburg, on the other hand, it’s the presence in the squad of a quartet of internationals which has put them effectively out of contention for the title, although young Cedric de Lange has almost kept pace with overseas Gavin Kaplan and is fifth in the batting rankings with 437 runs at an average of 43.70. It’s the bowling which has let Voorburg down somewhat, with Usman Malik and Patient Charumbira their leading wicket-takers despite having played only five and seven matches respectively. If Excelsior are to mount a serious campaign to avoid the drop, it really has to start here.

BdJ: Finally VRA, back playing Saturdays, welcome wooden spoon incumbents Sparta 1888 to the Bos on Saturday and will be hoping to take some tension out of their late season. Having pulled clear of the danger zone with a win over Hermes last week, the Amsterdammers will be looking to consolidate their place in the mid table. They do have a habit of dropping points to the Spartans, it should be said, but they rarely do so at home. That said, Sparta have rarely looked as spirited as they did last week against HBS, and while VRA are back at full strength the return of their internationals hasn’t done them a great deal of good, at least in terms of batting. While early returnee Shariz Ahmad has settled back into domestic competition nicely, both Teja Nidamanuru and Vikram Singh have yet to find form with the bat either in Orange or in VRA’s blue this season, and pressure will be building on both to deliver. Conversely Sparta’s carefree batting last week brought them a step closer to an unlikely escape, and has perhaps given them a sense of what can be, unburdened by what has been.

RL: Everything would need to go right for Sparta if they are to overcome VRA and give themselves a fighting chance of getting away from the foot of the table, and that would include the Woodlanders again failing to play up to their potential. Vikram Singh gave one hint last week of his undoubted ability before he departed, but the disruption to the side’s top order which has come from international commitments has had a profoundly negative effect on their performances, and they will be delighted that once the T20 Qualifier is over they should be able to field a more settled team in the campaign’s finishing straight. It was Juandre Scheepers who ripped through HBS last week and the aggressive batting of Sam Ferguson, Lukas Boorer and Khalid Ahmadi which finished the job, but whether either will be readily repeatable against VRA, and in the Amsterdamse Bos, is a very big question indeed.

BdJ’s picks: Kampong, HCC, Punjab, Voorburg, Sparta
RL’s picks: Kampong, HCC, Punjab, Voorburg, VRA.